As more and more automobiles are put into service on roads across the globe to meet the transportation demands of an ever-expanding population, more and more fueling stations must be planned, permitted and constructed to provide a means of fuel distribution for such automobiles. The construction and operation of known fuel distribution and service stations, however, are lengthy, costly and resource-consuming undertakings. Surveys and studies of anticipated demand must be commissioned, the station designed in a configuration sufficient to meet the anticipated demand, permits must be pulled and a lengthy construction process commenced and completed before a single gallon of gasoline may be pumped. Moreover, known fuel stations are not flexible and are not capable of providing different types of fuels for distribution.
As will be readily appreciated, the construction of known fueling stations is also not the most environmentally-friendly practice. Indeed, the footprint of known fueling stations, in terms of both its permanence and from an environmental standpoint, is rather substantial. Currently, fossil fuel distribution is made through permanent establishments which require public works, excavations, etc. and which have no flexibility in terms of design or configuration. In addition, known stations require electricity from the electrical grid and cannot be relocated in an economically feasible or profitable way. For example, automotive fuels are typically stored in underground tanks from which the fuel is pumped to a fuel dispenser for dispensing into an automobile. These tanks are typically constructed of metal or fiberglass. Underground installation of these tanks requires relatively large excavations and coverage thereof and creates many potential problems.
One known problem associated with underground fuel tanks is leakage or seepage into the surrounding soil. This is particularly true of metallic tanks, which can corrode or degrade over time, especially in moist soil. Seepage into the surrounding soil results both in the steady loss of fuel and environmental (soil and water) pollution. Moreover, in case of flooding, the tanks installed underground are inefficient and the fuel in them may be contaminated with water and with sediments within the water. As these tanks are buried underground beneath the structure of the station, the cost of repairing and replacing a leaking underground tank can be extremely expensive. In addition, underground tanks are not designed to store different types of fuels, and other facilities are needed to store equipment and to perform processes needed to produce certain types of fuel and energy to deliver to automobiles.
Moreover, known fossil fuel distribution stations have very high operating costs because the fuel, stored in an underground tank, must be mechanically pumped from the tank to an automobile. As will be readily appreciated, this mechanical pumping consumes a lot of electricity.
In addition to the above, known fueling stations are relatively permanent in nature. They are anchored to the ground with tons and tons of poured concrete, have large fuel tanks buried many feet beneath the surface of the ground, and have many feet of underground piping routing fuel from the tanks to the pump and electricity from the electrical grid to the station. Accordingly, in the event that the fueling station is no longer in operation, a lengthy and expensive process of removing everything that was previously constructed (pilings, tanks, pumps, structure) must be competed to restore the land to a condition in which it can be easier to sell and/or meet zoning or land ordinances. In many cases, once installed, such facilities cannot practically be moved to different locations, or be sold.
Known “permanent” fueling stations also suffer from additional drawbacks. In remote areas where fuel is required, or may be required on short notice, it may not be practical to go through this lengthy and expensive planning and construction process to meet fuel demand. In addition, due to the lack of infrastructure in many remote areas, e.g., accessibility to the energy/electricity grid, it may not even be feasible to construct known fueling stations in such areas. In particular, the electrical energy required to operate the pumps, lights, credit card machines, etc. may simply not be readily available.
In view of the above-described drawbacks of known fueling stations, there is a need for a more environmentally friendly fueling station that can be planned, constructed and placed into service in a much shorter amount of time and at a lower cost than known stations. In addition, there is a need for a fueling station that is modular, mobile and that can be quickly and easily assembled in remote locations and operate self-sufficiently with little or no drawing of power from the electrical grid.
In addition to the above, the use of alternative energy sources is starting to become more prevalent in fuel markets. Indeed, the use and demand of alternative energy fuel for transportation is increasing at a rapid pace, and the types of fuels demanded and the consumption rates thereof can be expected to increase drastically from what has been seen to date. Accordingly, new generations of fuel distribution stations must be flexible in terms of their size and the types of fuel that they can store and dispense, as well as flexible in terms of changing their size and/or location in response to dynamically changing markets. There is a need for fuel distribution stations that are able to distribute different types of fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, methanol and electricity to quickly charge electric cars.